9cZ 
.4 



203 
4 

PI K2 
opy 2 



66 



Men on Horseback." 



Copyrighted, 1902, 
By S. H. Kadffmann, 



^11 4 5^8 

^e X HO 



"MEN ON HORSEBACK." 



A PAPER ON THE EQUESTRIAN STATUARY 
IN WASHINGTON. 



READ BEFORE THE COLUMBIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 
WASHINGTON, D. C, BY MR. S.^k'KAUFFMANN, ON 
MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 11, l'901. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 

In compliance with the request of your committee, it was 
the original expectation that there should be presented this 
evening some account of Equestrian Statuary in the United 
States. It may be questioned whether or not a paper so com- 
prehensive in its scope as that, and covering so wide an expanse 
of territory, would come strictly within the purview of a 
Society presumed to be rather local in its researches and 
general range ; but, quite aside from that consideration, it 
soon became apparent that to do so large a subject even scant 
justice in a single paper, to be read in one evening, would be 
too great a tax upon the patience, if not upon the physical 
endurance, of any audience. Accordingly, the observations 
offered at this time will be restricted to the monumental 



V/rti-Uy 






^\ 



structures of the class referred to which have been set up 
within the limits of the National Capital — with, however, some 
preliminary reference to two examples in other localities, 
introduced for the purpose of establishing the historical 
sequence, or rather, perhaps, the order of precedence, in works 
of that class on the western hemisphere, and which, it is hoped, 
may be excused for that reason. 






The first monument of this order put up and now existing 
within the limits of the United States — though not the first 
erected on this continent — was unveiled and still stands in this 
city. But the one yet existing which antedates this one was set 
up in a neighboring country, and in honor of a European 
monarch who did absolutely nothing to deserv^e such great 
distinction. It is an effigy, almost colossal in size, represent- 
ing Charles IV of Spain, standing in the City of Mexico. 
This group was modeled by a citizen of that city (though 
born in Spain) , Don Manuel Tolsa, by name, and was cast in 
bronze in a single piece, by another resident Mexican, Don 
Salvador de la Vega. The date of its inauguration was the 
9th day of December, 1803, when, after many vicissitudes of 
fortune, which well nigh resulted in its complete destruction, 
it was unveiled with great ceremony. 

Yet even that early example had a predecessor of its class 
on this side of the Atlantic, although the pioneer group no 
longer exists. This, the first Equestrian Statue ever set up 
within the territory now included in the United States, or 
indeed anywhere on the western hemisphere, was one of 
George III of England, which formerly stood in the reserva- 



tion called Bowling Green, near what was then known as Fort 
George, at the foot of Broadway, in the city of New York, 
There it was dedicated with suitable ceremony on the 21st day 
of August, 1770 — that date having been chosen, it was stated, 
because it was the birthday of his majesty's father, Frederick, 
Prince of Wales. 

A chronicler of the times gives a rather quaint account of 
the inaugural proceedings attending the unveiling of this 
statue, in the following words : 

" On this occasion the members of his Majesty's Council, the City 
Corporation, the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce, the Corpora- 
tion of the Marine Society, and most of the gentlemen of the City and 
Arm}' waited on his Honor, the Lieutenant Governor Colden, in the 
Fort, at his request ; where his Majesty's and other loyal healths were 
drunk under a discharge of thirty-two pieces of cannon, from the Battery, 
accompanied by a band of music." 

Another writer of the period records the fact that this 
was the first Equestrian Statue ever made of his Majesty, the 
Third George, and adds that it was "the workmanship of 
that celebrated statuary, Mr. Wilton of London." 

This group was composed of lead, but was said to have 
been so richly gilded as to present somewhat the appearance 
of gold. An old print of the statue, in my possession, shows 
the king clothed in his royal robes, wearing his crown, and 
seated upon a rather clumsy-looking charger, which is repre- 
sented in the act of rearing — the equipoise of the group being 
maintained by the long tail of the horse, which rested firmly 
on the pedestal. 

The statue stood in its appointed place for nearly six 
years, or until the 9th day of July, 1776, when it was destroyed 
by the soldiers and patriotic populace of the city. The group 
had probably been subjected to some indignities before that 



8 

time, for we find that on the 6th of February, 1773, there was 
passed an act entitled "An act to prevent the defacing of 
statues which are erected in the City of New York." But, 
however that may be, the effigy in question met its dramatic 
fate as above stated shortly after the signing of the Declaration 
of Independence, and in recognition of that momentous event. 
In regard to this affair the Father of our Country appears 
to have entertained a view which somewhat reminds one of 
that held by the New England gentleman who declared him- 
self ' ' in favor of the Maine liquor law, but opposed to its en- 
forcement," for Washington, while undoubtedly favoring the 
outcome of the iconoclastic demonstration, thought proper to 
place himself officially on record as objecting to the precise 
method or agency emploj^ed to secure the end in view. In 
the book of general orders issued by the commander-in-chief, 
one under date of July 10, 1776, appears, in which the follow- 
ing diplomatically worded approbatory censure was pro- 
mulgated. It reads : 

" Though the General doubts not the persons who pulled down and 
mutilated in Broadway the statue of King George, last night, acted in 
the public cause, yet it has so much the appearance of riot and want of 
order in the army that he disapproves of the manner, and directs that in 
future these things shall be avoided by the army and left to be executed 
by the proper authority," 

It is related by historians of the period that the stone 
pedestal of this statue stood in its place for several years after- 
ward, and the iron fence which surrounded the group still 
stands, it is said, though somewhat mutilated ; but the royal 
rider and his prancing steed were promptly chopped into 
pieces. These separated parts were, however, not allowed to 
go to waste, so to speak. On the other hand, they were care- 



full}' gathered up and shipped to Litchfield, Connecticut, then 
a continental military depot of considerable importance, where 
they were cast into bullets by the patriotic women of the town, 
to be effectually fired later on at his majesty's troops. 

Those fond of statistical details may be interested in knowing 
that the official reports show the output from this unexpected 
but timely supply of metal to have been exactly 42,088 ball 
cartridges. 

But to come back to the Federal city : 

With rare exceptions — indeed with a single exception,* it 
may be said — Equestrian Statues have never been erected in 
any country save in honor of so-called royal personages, or 
those who were either actual or titular commanders of troops 
in the field. Indeed, in art, the " Man on Horseback " seems 
to be regarded always and everywhere as sjanbolizing either 
the ro3^al ruler or the actual commander. Happily with the 
exception of the one referred to above, and no longer in exist- 
ence, all the equestrian groups set up in this country in honor 
of its own favorites belong only to the latter class ; and, as will 
readily be inferred, the subjects thus portrayed, as well in 
Washington as in other cities of the country, have been 
furnished by the first four wars in which, as a nation, we have 
been engaged — namely, the revolutionary war ; that of 181 2, 
as it is familiarly styled ; the Mexican war, and the late civil 
war. Taking these epochs in their order, it will be seen that 
we have now in place in the National Capital two heroes of the 
first war — Washington and Greene ; one of the second — 
Jackson ; one of the third — Scott ; and three of the fourth, in 
Thomas, McPherson and Hancock. 



* That of the painter Velasquez, in Paris. 



10 

Naturally it would be expected that the heroes of our 
earliest war should be the first to be thus honored. But, as a 
matter of fact, it was not so. The first Equestrian Statue to 
be executed and set up in the United States (after the George 
III already mentioned) was the bronze group of General 
Jackson,* the hero of the war of 1812, which stands in 
Lafayette Square, in this city. It was modeled and cast from 
cannon captured in Jackson's campaigns by the late Clark 
Mills, and was inaugurated with imposing ceremonies on the 
8th day of January, 1853 — that day being the thirty-eighth 
anniversary of the old hero's victory at New Orleans. The 
orator on the occasion was the late Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, 
then a member of the United States Senate, representing the 
State of Illinois, and the prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Butler 
of this city. 

In this connection it may be mentioned that the statement 
has more than once been made that the Equestrian Statue of 
Washington, by Henry K. Brown, which stands in Union 
Square, New York, was really executed at an earlier period 
than the Jackson, though formally inaugurated at a later date. 
This claim is, however, not well founded. The facts in the 
case are that the Jackson was completed and set up, as already 
stated, in January, 1853, whereas work on the Washington 
was only begun late in the year 1852, and the statue was not 
finished and unveiled until the 4th of July, 1856, or more than 
three years after the inauguration of the Jackson. 

It is worth noting here, in passing, that Mr. Mills had 
showm so much promise as a sculptor in the city of Charleston, 
where he then resided, that a number of persons in that place 

* Andrew Jackson: Born, Waxhaw Settlement, Carolinas, March 15, 1767: Died, 
Nashville, Tenn., Juue 8, 1845. 



11 

had contributed a purse to enable him to go to Europe, to 
prosecute his studies as an artist ; and he was in Washington, 
on his way abroad for this purpose, when some friends here 
persuaded him to forego his visit and undertake this work. 
This he finally concluded to do. 

The commission was consequently awarded him, in due 
course, by the Jackson Democratic Association of this city, 
under whose auspices the statue was erected, and the agree- 
ment was fulfilled by Mr. Mills accordingly. Subsequently, 
however, it was shown that ^12,000, the stipulated amount to 
be paid him, did not cover the artist's outlays in money, much 
less compensate him for the time and skill he had devoted to 
the work, and Congress later on appropriated the sum of 
$20,000 additional. One-half of this latter amount was paid 
directl}^ to Mr. Mills, and the other moiety was to be invested 
for the benefit of his family ; but whether that intention was 
carried out or not appears to be a matter of some doubt. 

Few things are easier to do or more commonly done than 
finding fault ; and it has been considered quite the thing to 
harshly criticise this work. Indeed, it has been the habit of 
some would-be wits to allude to it as being pretty much every- 
thing that a work of art should not be. But notwithstanding 
all adverse opinions, the group is yet not without considerable 
merit. Unfortunately it lacks the size necessary to give it due 
impressiveness ; but not a few admirers and excellent judges 
of the horse have maintained that the noble animal is ad- 
mirably represented in this group. To use the sculptor's own 
language, as once expressed in the hearing of the writer, he 
claimed to ' ' know as much about the anatomy and muscular 
action of a horse as any man living, ' ' and he added that the 
steed in this group was modeled, prancing attitude and all, 



12 

directly from nature, as he had taught the horse to rear and 
remain in that position for some time. As to the rider, I 
beheve it was conceded b}'' those who remembered the old hero 
that the likeness of Jackson is both faithful and spirited. 
Tested, however, by the recognized canons of art, it can hardly 
be claimed seriously that this group will take high rank with 
works of its class. One conspicuous defect lies in the fact 
alluded to above, that it lacks sufficient size to give it dignity 
and impressiveness, and it is furthermore too small for its im- 
posing surroundings. Yet if it be admitted that it fails to be 
satisfactory as a whole, there remain some pregnant facts in 
connection with it that should be borne in mind. It ought to 
be remembered, to his great credit, that Mr. Mills was a 
wholly self-taught artist, having originally been a plasterer by 
trade ; that up to the time he executed this group he had 
never seen an Equestrian Statue ; that both its conception and 
the task of modeling it were solely his own work ; and that, 
finally, the difficult task of casting it in bronze was entirely 
performed by him — all the ingenious appliances necessary 
therefor being of his own invention and construction. It is 
doubtful if the history of art in any country presents in all 
these respects a parallel to this case. 

Of this group, as most of those present are doubtless aware, 
two replicas in bronze have been made, one of them standing 
in New Orleans, the .scene of Jackson's great military achieve- 
ment, the other in Nashville, near where his ashes repose. 

The further observation may be allowed in this connection 
that Mr. Mills claimed as one of the merits of this statue that 
its natural equipoise was absolute — that is, that the center of 
gravity had been so attained in the position of the horse and 
his rider that the group would rest securely on the hind feet of 



13 

the rearing charger, without any support or fastening whatever. 
This is the fact. It is, however, a fact, also, that when the group 
was placed in position in Lafaj^ette Square the hind feet of the 
horse were bolted or otherwise fastened to the base or pedestal, 
in order to secure it against the possible effects of high winds 
or other disturbing or mischievous causes. But that the 
group was actually self -poised Mr. Mills used to demonstrate 
very conclusively by the exhibition of an exact miniature 
reproduction, which was so evenly balanced that it would stand 
firmly on a marble slab or other smooth surface, and equally 
so with or without the rider in his place. 

Mr. Mills' claim as to the self-sustaining equilibrium of the 
group must therefore be regarded as well founded. Not so, 
however, his other claim, that this was the first Equestrian 
Statue ever erected possessing that peculiar property. A 
mounted effigy of Philip IV of Spain, marked by the same 
characteristics, was erected in Madrid about the middle of the 
seventeenth century, and still stands in one of the fine squares 
of that city. History, by the way, records the interesting 
facts that the horse of that group was modeled by the Italian 
sculptor, Tacca, from drawings made by the great Spanish 
painter, Velasquez, and that Galileo utilized his scientific 
knowledge in giving it the proper balance by finding and 
pointing out to the sculptor the center of gravity. 

There must also have been another earlier statue of the 
same class, for I have in my possession an old engraving of a 
self-balanced Equestrian Statue of James II of England, in 
Newcastle-on-Tyne, said to have been composed of copper, 
which was destroyed in 1689. Nevertheless, it is fair and 
reasonable to suppose, notwithstanding all allegations and 
insinuations to the contrary, that these facts were unknown to 



14 

Mr. Mills, and that the conception as well as the means of 
overcoming the many obstacles in his path were entirely 
original with him. 

* * * 

In chronological order, the next Equestrian Statue set up 
in this city was that of Washington,* also made by Clark Mills, 
which occupies the Circle bearing the Father of his Country's 
name, at the crossing of Pennsylvania avenue and K and 23d 
streets. This group was appropriatel}^ unveiled on the 226. of 
Februar3% i860, with most imposing ceremonies, which were 
participated in by an unusually large number of organizations, 
both civic and military. Rev. Dr. Nadal of the Foundry Church 
implored the blessings of Divine Providence ; the orator of the 
occasion was Hon. Thomas S. Bocock, then a representative in 
Congress from Virginia ; and the statue was formally dedicated 
by President Buchanan. The naval, the marine and regular 
army establishments were adequately represented on the 
occasion, as were all the militia companies of the District ; and 
among the military bodies from other places which came to add 
to the impressiveness of the scene were the Alexandria Rifles, 
the lyaw Greys of Baltimore, the Charles County Cavalry 
Guard from Port Tobacco, the Reed Rifles from Chestertown, 
the Baltimore City Guard, and the famous 7th Regiment of 
New York. 

The incident in Washington's life selected by the artist for 
representation in this group occurred at the battle of Princeton, 
when, after several ineffectual efforts to rally his troops, the 
General advanced so near the British lines that his horse 



* George Washington : Born, Westmoreland County, Va., February 32, 1732 : Died, 
Mount Vernon, Va., December 14, 1799. 



15 

refused to go further, but stood in terror, while the balls from 
the enemy's guns tore up the earth around him. The heroic 
rider is, however, shown serene and dignified, as befitted his 
character and temperament. 

The sculptor's original conception for this monument con- 
templated a much more elaborate and pretentious group than 
we see. It portrayed Washington as now represented, and it 
may fitly be mentioned here that his face was modeled from 
the well-known Houdon head ; that the uniform was copied 
from one actually worn by him, and that the trappings of the 
horse were taken from those represented by Trumbull, the 
painter, who had been the General's aid-de-camp. But instead 
of the comparatively low and severely plain pedestal upon 
which the figure now stands, the artist had contemplated a 
massive and richly decorated structure, some thirty feet in 
height, divided into three stories, or sections, intended, as he 
said, to represent the three great epochs in the history of our 
countr3^ The high reliefs on the first or lower section were 
to symbolize the country as it appeared when first discovered, 
inhabited by Indians ; the second was to represent the dawn 
of its civilization ; the third was to tell the story of the great 
revolutionary period, with Washington's generals represented 
in life size on either side. A life-size equestrian group was also 
to stand at each of the four corners of the pedestal, somewhat 
after the style of the splendid statue of Frederick the Great in 
Berlin, the Maria Theresa in Vienna, and the fine War Monu- 
ment in Leipsic. But for want of an adequate appropriation 
the ambitious original design was (perhaps fortunately) never 
carried out. 

In connection with this particular group it may be of interest 
to note here the historical fact that the first action ever had 



16 

looking to an Equestrian Statue in Washington was taken by 

the Continental Congress on the 17th of August, 1783, when, 

" On motion of Mr. Lee, seconded b}' Mr, Bland, it was resolved 
' That an Equestrian Statue of Washington be erected at the place where 
the residence of Congress shall be established.' " 

Another resolution offered in connection with this provided 
that the statue should be of bronze, the General to be repre- 
sented in a Roman dress, holding a truncheon in his right 
hand, and his head encircled with a laurel wreath. The statue 
was to be supported by a marble pedestal, " on which, " it was 
provided, " were to be represented in bas-relief the following 
principal events in the war in which General Washington 
commanded in person, viz : The evacuation of Boston, the 
capture of the Hessians at Trenton, the battle of Princeton, 
the action of Monmouth, and the surrender of York. On the 
upper part of the front of the pedestal was to be engraved 
this legend : 

" The United States in Congress assembled ordered this statue to be 
erected in the year of our Lord 1783, in honor of George Washington, the 
illustrious Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States of 
America, during the war which vindicated and secured their liberty, 
sovereignty and independence." 

It was further provided that a statue conformable to the 
above plan should be executed by the best artist in Europe, 
under the superintendence of the minister of the United States 
at the court of Versailles, and that the money to defra}^ the 
expense of the same should be furnished from the treasury of the 
United States. Further, the secretary of Congress was directed 
to transmit to the minister to France the best resemblance of 
General Washington that could be procured, together with the 
fittest description of the events which were to be the subject 
of the bas-reliefs. 




v 



17 

It is needless to add that this elaborate and well-meant 
scheme came to naught. Indeed, it does not appear that any- 
further action was taken in regard to it or upon the subject to 
which it referred until after the death of Washington, when, 
on the 19th and 24th of December, 1799, respectively, the two 
houses of Congress passed a resolution providing ' ' That a 
marble monument be erected by the United States in the 
Capitol at the city of Washington ; that the family of General 
Washington be requested to permit his bodj^ to be deposited 
under it, and that the monument be so designed as to 
commemorate the great events of his military and political 
life." 

Subsequently, on the 8th of May, iSoo, a resolution was 
offered in the House of Representatives providing that the 
statue contemplated by the act of 1783 should be carried into 
immediate execution, and that the group should be placed in 
the center of an area formed in front of the Capitol. Another 
resolution offered at the same time provided that a marble 
monument should be erected by the United States in the 
Capitol at the city of Washington in honor of General 
Washington, to commemorate his services and to express the 
regret of the American people for their irreparable loss. To 
carry these resolutions into effect the sum of $100,000 was 
proposed. When they came up for final consideration the 
first resolution was amended by substituting a mausoleum for 
the statue, and the second was rejected. No further action 
was taken at that time, but at the next session, in December 
and January following, the matter was discussed at length, 
and after various amendments had been offered and rejected a 
resolution was finally passed by both houses providing for the 
proposed mausoleum and appropriating $100,000 for its 



18 

erection. These resolutions were, however, never carried into 
effect, and, as we all know, the remains of the great General 
still repose at Mount Vernon. It appears, however, that his 
widow gave her consent to the removal of his remains, as 
desired. " In doing this," she wrote to the President under 
date of January 8, 1800, " I need not, I cannot, say what a 
sacrifice of individual feeling I make to a sense of duty." 

* * ^k 

It does not appear that either the statue of General Scott,* 
which stands in Scott Circle, at the intersection of Massachusetts 
and Rhode Island avenues and i6th and N streets, northwest, or 
that of General Greene, t in Greene Square, at the intersection 
of Massachusetts and Maryland avenues and C and 5th streets, 
northeast, were inaugurated or unveiled with any formal 
ceremonies. Both were executed on a commission from the 
United States Government to the distinguished sculptor, Henry 
K. Brown ; and, so far as my researches throw any light on 
the subject, it would seem that when completed they were 
turned over to and accepted by the proper authority or repre- 
sentative of the Government, much as a public building or any 
other work executed under a Government contract would be — 
the first named in 1874, the other in 1877. 

Of the statue of Scott it may justly be said that while some 
parts of the group are exceedingly fine, it is not as a whole 
generally considered entirely happy as a work of art. The 
horse, although a most beautifully modeled figure, does not 
possess the points usually looked for in a commander's charger, 



*WiNFiELD Scott: Born, near Petersburg, Va., June 13, 1786: Died, West Point, 
N. Y , May 29, iS65. 

+ Nathaniel Greene : Born, Warwick, R. I., June 6, 1742 : Died, Mulberry Grove, 
Ga., June 19, 1796. 



19 

aud this might well be expected when it is understood that he 
was modeled from a thoroughbred mare. Furthermore, it may- 
be said that the horse is not only of a type too light and delicate 
for the purpose indicated, but also too slight in form and size 
for the ponderous figure that surmounts it. The opinion is 
likewise held that the artist made a mistake in representing 
General Scott at so late a period in life, when his form had 
lost the magnificent proportions of young manhood, instead of 
portraying him as he appeared, let us say, about the close of 
the Mexican War, when he was probably at his best physically, 
and which period might also be termed the culmination of his 
military career. Still, an air of great dignity and repose dis- 
tinguishes the group, which favorably impresses the intelligent 
and appreciative beholder and raises it very far above the dead 
level of mediocrity. 

The cost of this statue was $45,000, wholly appropriated by 
Congress, which also supplied the metal therefor by contribut- 
ing for that purpose a number of cannon captured in the 
Mexican War. 

* * * 

The statue of General Greene is less pleasing as a whole 
than the Scott, though some of the details are likewise beauti- 
fully executed and worthy of all commendation. The revolu- 
tionary hero is portrayed at the head of his troops and going 
forward to point out to them a suitable point for an attack. 
This motive represents the horse in the act of moving rapidly, 
which leaves in the mind of the observer a rather uncomfort- 
able feeling of unrest, if it may be so expressed. The act of 
Congress providing for the erection of this statue was passed 
on the 24th of June, 1874. It appropriated the sum of $40,000 
for the purpose, and appointed a special committee to carry 



20 

the act into effect, consisting of one member of the House of 
Representatives, one member of the Senate, and George 
Washington Greene of Rhode Island. 

It is a somewhat curious historical fact that the second 
appropriation made by Congress for a public monument in 
America should be voted for one to General Greene, and that 
the purpose should not have been carried into effect until nearly 
one hundred years later. The journal of the Continental 
Congress for the 8th day of August, 17S6, contains the follow- 
ing record, which is interesting in this connection : 

■' On a report of a committee, consistinj^ of Mr. Lee, Mr. Pettit and 
Mr. Carrington — 

'■^ Resolved^ That a monument be erected to the memory of Nathaniel 
Greene, esq., at the seat of the federal government, with the following 
inscription : ' Sacred to the menior}' of Nalhaniel Greene, esq., a native 
of the state of Rhode Island, who died on the 19th daj' of June, 17S6, 
late major general in the service of the United States, and commander of 
their army in the southern department. 

" ' The United States in Congress assembled, in honor of his patriotism, 
valor, and ability, have erected this monument.' 

" Resolved, That the board of treasury take order for the due execu- 
tion of the foregoing resolution." 

The appropriation thus made was never applied to the 
purpose intended, and, as has been shown, it remained for a 
later Congress to appropriately honor the revolutionary hero ; 
and more than a century after its adoption by the Continental 
Congress General John M. Wilson, then Commissioner of 
Public Buildings and Grounds, caused the eloquent inscription 
originally adopted by that body to be car\'ed on the pedestal 
of the present statue. It may be mentioned here that another 
still more curious circumstance connected with the subject of 
this monument lies in the fact that both the date and cause of 
his death and the actual place of his burial, as w'ell, have 
ever since been subjects of serious doubt and animated 
discussion. 



21 

The statue of General James B. McPherson,* which stands 
in the square in this city bearing his name, was appropriately 
inaugurated on the iSth of October, 1876. It was erected as 
a tribute to the heroism and memory of that gallant soldier, 
by the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by him at the 
time of his lamented death, which occurred during the siege 
of Atlanta. The preliminary steps to this end were taken at 
the first meeting of the Society of that Army held in the city 
of Louisville in 1S65. The original purpose was to erect the 
monument in Clyde, Ohio, where General McPherson was 
born, and where also his remains were interred ; but wiser 
counsels ultimately prevailed, and it was subsequently and 
ver>' properl}' decided that the National Capital would be the 
only appropriate place for it. 

The commission for this work was first given to Mr. T. D. 
Jones, a sculptor of some note in Cincinnati ; but, owing to 
his inability to carry out the contract, it was subsequently 
given to Mr. Louis T. Rebisso, an artist less well known, of 
the same city, who completed it in about three years' time — 
the work of casting the group in bronze being done by Messrs. 
Robert Wood & Co. of Philadelphia. The cost of the statue 
proper, $23,500, was wholly borne by the Society of the 
Army of the Tennessee, but for the granite pedestal an appro- 
priation of $25,000, was made by Congress. 

The ceremonies attending the unveiling of this group were 
attended by the President and members of his cabinet, 
distinguished army and navy officers, a number of military 
and patriotic civic organizations, many gentlemen prominent 
in public and private life, together with a large concourse of 



♦ James Birdseye McPherson : Boru, Sandusky Couiitj', Ohio, November 14, i8a8 
Died Atlanta, Ga., July 2i, 1864. 



90 



citizeus of both sexes. The audience was called to order by 
General Sherman, and prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. 
McCarty, a retired army chaplain. After a short address by 
General Hickenlooper, the statue was formally unveiled, and 
the exercises closed with an oration by General John A. 
lyOgan, at that time a member of the United States Senate 
from the state of Illinois. Music for the occasion was 
furnished by the Marine Band. 

* * ;tj 

Doubtless the most elaborate and imposing ceremonies that 
ever marked an occasion of the kind in Washington, or perhaps 
anywhere in this country, were those attending the inaugura- 
tion of the statue of Major General George H. Thomas,* at the 
intersection of Massachusetts and Vermont avenues and 14th 
and M streets, on the 19th of November, 1879. Many of the 
principal buildings, as well as some of the busy thoroughfares 
of the city, were handsomely decorated in honor of the occasion, 
and the immense throngs of people in the streets included not 
only citizens of Washington, but large numbers of visitors 
from distant and widely separated sections of the country. 
The procession was two hours in passing a given point, and 
the brilliant militar>' display embraced a group of such 
celebrities as are rarely brought together, including General 
Sherman, then commanding the armies of the United States, 
and his staff ; Major General Hancock and staff ; Major General 
Schofield and staff, and Brigadier Generals Crook and Augur 
and their respective staffs. The navy was adequately repre- 
sented, by sailors and marines, and the army by artillery, 



* George Henrv Thomas : Born, Southampton County, Va., July 31, iSi6 : Died, 
San Francisco, March 28, 1870. 



23 

cavalry and infantry regiments. In addition to these there 
were military organizations present from Annapolis, Alex- 
andria, Catonsville, Norfolk and Richmond. Music for the 
occasion was furnished not alone by the marine and military 
bands of Washington and the neighborhood, but by others 
scarcely less popular or less famous, from West Point, Fortress 
Monroe, Columbus, Ohio, Davids Island, N. Y., and Frederick, 
Md., and the effects of the soul-stirring contributions of these 
were supplemented and heightened by the rendering of appro- 
priate hymns and odes by a choir of more than fifty well- 
selected and admirably qualified male voices. Nor should 
mention be omitted of the large number of civic and patriotic 
organizations present, which, by their participation in the 
events of the day, added not only materially to the volume of 
the marching throng, but greatly also to the interest and im- 
pressiveness of the occasion. 

The immediate inaugural exercises, which were interspersed 
at suitable intervals with appropriate music, were formally 
opened with prayer, offered by the Rev. Dr. Paxton, himself 
a musket-bearer during the civil war, but at that time pastor 
of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, in this city. 
The act of unveiling the group was fitly performed by the 
sculptor, Mr. J. Q. A. Ward of New York. This was followed 
by a lengthy and eloquent oration, delivered by the Hon. 
Stanley Matthews, at that time a member of the United States 
Senate, representing the state of Ohio, and at the close of his 
remarks the statue was formally accepted for and in behalf of 
the people of the United States by President Hayes. 

Those who are as familiar with this group as the present 
audience must be, need scarcely be told that it is at once a 
pleasing and excellent work of art, perhaps the best in 



24 

general effect and most spirited of its class in Washington, 
and as a whole probably not surpassed by any in the country. 
The artist's idea was to represent his subject as having sud- 
denly checked the movement of his horse on the summit of a 
slight acclivity, for the purpose of making an obser\'ation, or 
overlooking a field of action ; and the conception is admirably 
realized, alike in the pose and expression of both rider and 
steed. 

It is understood that some six j^ears' time were spent more 
or less continuously on this work, for which the artist received 
the sum of $35,000, wholly contributed and paid by the Society 
of the Army of the Cumberland, by whom the commission 
was given, and under whose auspices the inauguration 
ceremonies were conducted. The pedestal was, however, 
provided by an appropriation made for that purpose by Con- 
gress, amounting, it is understood, to about $25,000, and the 
statue is composed of material also contributed by the Govern- 
ment. 

* * * 

The fine statue of General Hancock,* which adorns the 
locality familiarly known as Market Space, in this city, is the 
work of the well-known and popular sculptor, Mr. Henry J. 
ElHcott, whose lamented death occurred in this city on the 
nth of February last. Mr. EHicott may justly be claimed as 
a Washingtonian, since, though born in a neighboring state, he 
had spent a large part of his life here, first as a 3'oung student, 
and later in the successful pursuit of his profession, upon 
which he conferred no little luster. It may further be said 



♦ WiNFiELD Scott Hancock : Born, Montg-omerj' Square, MontRomery County, Pa. 
February 14, 1824 : Died, Governor's Island, New York Harbor, February 9, 1886. 



25 

that local interest in the group is accented by the fact that, 
though put in bronze by the Gorham Company, in Rhode 
Island, it was wholly modeled in clay and cast in plaster in 
this city. 

This statue was formally inaugurated on the 12th of May, 
1896, with imposing ceremonies, in which appropriate parts 
were taken by prominent Government ofl5cials, representing its 
executive, legislative and judicial departments, and a large 
number of military and civic organizations, both local and 
visiting. The formal dedicatory exercises were opened with 
a brief but felicitous address by President Cleveland, followed 
by prayer, offered by Bishop Satterlee of the diocese of Wash- 
ington. At its conclusion the Marine Band played " The 
Star Spangled Banner," and when the last strains of that 
stirring air died away the immense American flags which 
draped the group were drawn aside by cadet Gwynn Han- 
cock, a nephew of the general, and as their folds fell away the 
boom of cannon was heard, firing a Major General's salute of 
thirteen guns. At the close of this tribute an original poem 
suitable for the occasion was read by Mr. DeWitt C. Sprague, 
which was followed in turn by the formal oration of the day, 
delivered by General John M. Palmer, then representing the 
state of Illinois in the United States Senate. Following this 
the air, "Hail Columbia," was played by the Marine Band, 
and the benediction was pronounced by the Rev. W. H. Got- 
wald, at that time post chaplain of the Department of the 
Potomac, Grand Army of the Republic. If not ranking as a 
great work of art, this group may safel}^ be pronounced a 
creditable and satisfactory example of the class to which it 
belongs. Indeed, it seems to have been singularly fortunate, 
both in being praised and in escaping harsh censure ; and the 



26 

pedestal, designed by the Mullett Brothers, architects, of this 
city, has been not less fortunate in these respects. 

It only remains to be added, as a matter of detail, that this 
group was executed under a commission direct from the Federal 
Government, and that a special appropriation of $49,000 was 
made by Congress to defray the cost of the figures and pedestal. 



This completes the roll of Equestrian Statues now existing 
in Washington ; but, as those present are aware, the list is to 
be extended at no distant day by the erection of three similar 
monuments, now contracted for and in course of execution, in 
honor, respectively, of Generals Sherman, Sheridan, and 
Logan. 

The first named of these — that of Sherman — might justly be 
styled a child of misfortune from the beginning. It was to 
have been executed by Mr. Carl Rohl Smith, to whom, after a 
competitive exhibition of some twenty models, the commission 
was awarded under circumstances which produced much un- 
pleasant feeling among artists at the time. This arose from 
the fact that the committee of award, acting for the Society of 
the Army of the Tennessee, under whose auspices the statue 
was to be erected, set aside the recommendations of an advisory 
committee representing the National Sculpture Society, which 
had been invited to pass upon the merits of the several models 
shown. The latter body had selected four designs which they 
considered better than any of the others submitted, and recom- 
mended that the artists who executed them be asked to further 
elaborate their respective conceptions on a larger scale and 
enter them for a second competition, when the final award 
should be made to the one then decided to be the best of the 



27 

new exhibit. Instead of carrying out the advisory committee's 
recommendation as submitted, the charge was made that the 
army committee struck out the name of one of the chosen con- 
testants and substituted for it that of Mr. Smith, whose work 
had not been considered worthy of recognition by the advisory 
committee, and awarded the contract to that gentleman with- 
out further competition. His lamented death, however, will 
require that the work shall be completed by other hands, and 
it is understood that under a new contract lately made it will 
be carried out by Messrs. Henry K. Bush Brown of New 
York and Henry Kitson of Boston, both sculptors of large 
experience and high standing, acting conjointly. 

The Sheridan group is to be executed by Mr. J. Q. A. Ward, 
the sculptor who fashioned the Thomas, already noticed ; but 
when it will be put in place can onl)^ be conjectured, since, up 
to this time, so far as is known outside of the artist's studio, 
but little progress has been made with it. 

Mr. Franklin Simmons, the artist who executed the Peace 
Monument group in Pennsylvania avenue at the foot of the 
Capitol grounds, was awarded the commission for the Logan 
statue. This group with its elaborate pedestal of bronze, is 
finished and now in place in Iowa Circle, but not shown, and 
will, it is announced, be formally unveiled on the gth of April, 
coming, with suitable ceremonies. It is stated that President 
McKinley will preside at the exercises and will make a short 
opening address ; that the oration will be delivered by Senator 
Depew of New York ; that Rev. Dr. Bristol, pastor of the 
Metropolitan M. E. Church, will have charge of the religious 
part of the ceremonies, and that the actual act of unveiling 
the group will be performed by Master George Tucker, a 
grandson of General Logan. 



28 

It is more than likely that at no distant day four more 
statues of this class will be added to those here already men- 
tioned. At the session of Congress which closed on the 4th of 
the present month, an appropriation of $250,000 was made for 
the erection of a statue or memorial of General Grant, which, 
it is understood, will be placed on the grounds south of the 
Executive Mansion. Just what form this memorial will take 
is as yet a matter of conjecture, but from the ver}^ liberal 
amount appropriated for the purpose it may be assumed that 
it will fitly be the most imposing monument in the National 
Capital, the towering shaft to General "Washington alone 
excepted ; and it is not unreasonable to suppose that an Eques- 
trian Statue will be included as one of its features, if it does 
not prove to be the dominant note of the structure. 

At the same session the sum of $50,000 was appropriated by 
Congress for the pedestal of an equestrian effigy of General 
George B. McClellan, soon to be erected here by the Society 
of the Army of the Potomac, with a proviso that any portion 
of the appropriated amount not required for the site and 
pedestal might be expended for the completion of the statue 
itself. 

In addition to these two projects a movement has been 
started to secure for the federal city a replica of two Equestrian 
Statues set up in Paris last summer — the first that of 
Washington, by the sculptors French and Potter, which was 
presented to the French nation by the Washington Statue 
Association, composed of patriotic American women ; the 
other that of I,afayette, by Bartlett, paid for by the contribu- 
tions of patriotic American school children, and presented in 
their name to the people of France. As yet these have not 
reached a point that insures their consummation, but it can 



29 

hardly be doubted that the hopes of those engaged in forward 
ing them will be fully realized at no distant day. 

When the three groups now under contract, and finished or 
partly finished, together with those contemplated, shall have 
been added to those now in position here, Washington will 
probably possess a greater number of Equestrian Statues than 
can be found in any other city in the world. Whether such 
exaltation of military heroes is a matter of which a peace- 
loving people, living under a republican form of government, 
may justly pride itself, may be an open question, and also 
whether or not some of our military heroes have been unduly 
honored in the matter of monuments and statues. But, how- 
ever that may be, it can hardly be claimed that the Republic 
has adequately recognized and properly honored in this way 
her other worthy sons who, by achievements in the arts, 
in letters, in science, and in statesmanship, in the pulpit, at 
the bar, and on the bench, in the various fields of useful inven- 
tion, in works of philanthropy and in other quiet walks of 
civil life, have conferred no less luster on their country and 
illumined the age in which they lived. Let it therefore be the 
work of this Society to urge that the National Capital shall in 
future be adorned not so much by statues and memorials of 
those who have won fame by the shedding of blood as of those 
whose lives have been devoted to the nobler work of promoting 
the welfare and securing the happiness of mankind. 

* * * 
In conclusion, it is hoped that a few words germane to the 
general subject under notice will be pardoned, though it may 
not be expected that the domain of art criticism shall be 
entered upon in a hurriedly written resume like this, which, 
indeed, has already passed the limits of reasonable length. 



30 

But so much has been said and is still being said in derogation 
of American art, and especially of American sculpture, that 
simple justice seems to call for a word or two on this point. 

I do not, let me say, hold myself to be a competent author- 
ity on the subject. It is, however, one in which I have for a 
long time been interested ; and the result of such observation 
and study as I have been able to give to it is the well-settled 
conviction that the Equestrian Statuary of the United States 
will not, on the whole, suffer greatl}^ by comparison with that 
of any other country in the world. Certainly, it may be said 
that if we have nothing quite equal to two or three of the best 
groups to be found in other lands, we have, with one or two 
exceptions, nothing less artistic or less pleasing than some of 
their worst ; and that at least is something to congratulate 
ourselves upon. 

But not that alone. It may safely be added that, putting 
good and bad together, and taking all things into account, the 
American people have reason to be proud rather than ashamed 
of what both their sculptors and their painters have achieved 
in their respective fields of effort. It may properly be added, 
furthermore, that, in the opinion of thoroughly capable judges 
who were present, the American display of both graphic and 
plastic art at the Paris Exposition of 1900, though less perhaps 
in quantity than some, was not in artistic quality behind the 
contributions of any other country represented there — France, 
the acknowledged home of modern art, not excepted. This 
is at once a gratifying fact and a good omen. It abundantly 
justifies the faith largely and firmly held that there is yet a 
more brilliant future for American Art — of which, let us hope 
and believe, the National Capital shall ultimately be the 
acknowledged center and chief repository. 



31 



NOTE. 

[Since the foregoing was written the statue of General Logan,* exe- 
cuted by Simmons, referred to in the text, has been unveiled and for- 
mally dedicated, with suitable ceremonies, and a photograph view of the 
group is given herewith. The time chosen for the event was the after- 
noon of April 9th last, and the occasion was a noteworthy one in every 
respect. 

The presence of the President, with members of his cabinet and others 
prominent in official life, representative bodies of the military and naval 
service, a number of patriotic organizations, and a large concourse of 
ladies and gentlemen, lent impressiveness and interest to the memorable 
scene. Suitable introductory remarks were made by General Granville 
M. Dodge, President of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, under 
whose auspices the memorial was erected, followed by prayer, offered by 
Rev. F. M. Bristol. President McKinley then delivered a brief but elo- 
quent and appropriate address, and after this the principal oration of the 
day was pronounced by Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, Senator in Congress 
from the State of New York. The exercises were in terspersed with suit- 
able music by the bands present, and terminated with a benediction, by 
Rev. Dr. J. G. Butler. 

The statue, as the photographic view shows, is artistic in conception 
and spirited and pleasing in effect. Except that the position in which 
the sword is held has been adversely criticised by some military men, 
and but for the unfortunate and unaccountable perversion of history in 
one of the relief panels of the pedestal, the group seems, very properly, 
to give general satisfaction, and is on the whole considered a creditable 
addition to the Equestrian Statuary of the National Capital. 

The monument, of which both the figures and pedestal are of bronze, 
was cast in Rome ; and it may be added that its total cost was $65,000. 
Of this amount the sum of $50,000 was appropriated by Congress, the 
residue being contributed by the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, 
and by private individuals, friends and admirers of Gen. Logan.] 

November, 1901. 



* JOHN Alexander Logan : Bora, Jackson County, Illinois, February 1826 : Died 
Washington, December 26, 1886. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 366 249 4^ 



I'BRARV OP CONGRESS 



0-'4 366 249 4" 



